Las bellezas de la dinastía Song

Capítulo 113

Ru Ying's face turned pale instantly.

Qingyan didn't look at him. The corners of her mouth curved slightly, and her gaze was calm and focused, falling on a small flower trembling in the wind. "Moreover, although Meng Tai is capable, it is nothing short of a miracle that Tianxing, with the full power of the country and my Xiaoyao Gang, was able to kidnap me and escape all the way here. What do you think, Ruying?"

The person being questioned staggered back a step, clutching his chest. "Yes, I created the opportunity for him. He pretended to be Wang Xiaosi to approach you, and I knew it from the beginning. After you were kidnapped, I was the one secretly helping him, helping him evade the pursuers, allowing him to escape all the way here. Because only when he was on the verge of escaping danger, almost within his grasp, would he lower his guard and give me an opportunity. My plan was step by step to defeat him in the border town, so I couldn't let him be captured in the interior... You issued thirteen emergency orders along the way, and I saw them all. I... always knew where you were..."

"But you never even considered saving me, did you?" Qingyan scoffed.

"With you here, I can keep most of his attention focused, and my actions can be completely concealed. He will be distracted and only think about coming and going in front of you all day long, so he will not be able to pay attention to anything else."

Ru Ying's voice was cold, but her heart suddenly clenched with pain. A voice inside her screamed, "No, it can't be like this!" Countless times along the way, he had lost control of himself, countless times almost rushing out to save her... Thirteen emergency orders, thirteen special drawings—the glimmer of hope Qing Yan had managed to save through perilous situations—were all erased by his own hands. But each time he wiped them away, his palms were soaked with drops of blood...

No one spoke again; only the gentle ripples of the lake breeze and the rustling of leaves on the branches could be heard. And, not far behind, the heavy breathing of Meng Tai.

"Meng Ruyun, the second prince of the Beixian Kingdom and the only son of Consort Shangguan, was intelligent and talented from a young age and deeply loved by the Beixian King. Upon reaching the age of twenty, he intended to make Meng the crown prince. He went to Liupan Mountain to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on behalf of his father, but suddenly heard that his mother had been poisoned and died. Enraged, he rushed back, only to be ambushed and killed. Within days, the Beixian King lost both his beloved concubine and son, and was devastated, losing all will to live. From then on, the affairs of the Beixian Kingdom were entirely controlled by the eldest prince, Meng Rulei. Within a few short months, all members of Consort Shangguan's clan were executed..."

Qingyan spoke slowly, word by word, each sentence striking Ruying's heart, making him feel as if he could no longer breathe.

"However, soon the whole world will know that there's more to this story. It turns out the Second Prince didn't die. He hid his identity, cultivated his power, and later turned against his own side. From then on, the world was at peace, and the ringleader was brought to justice... Hehe, am I right, Your Highness?"

Qingyan clapped her hands, stood up, and smiled broadly, seemingly genuinely happy, her eyes crinkling. "So, now that you've come to my rescue, everything should be settled. Can you return my Xiaoyao Gang to me now? Surely, now that you're the ruler of a nation, you wouldn't consider a small gang like mine a threat, would you?"

Qingyan tilted her head, stretched out her hand, and smiled, as if she were casually asking Ruying for something insignificant when the two of them were in Zhongfang Garden. Ruying staggered back a step, her face drained of all color. Her lips moved, and she whispered, "They are already waiting for you in Gushan City, hidden in the shadows. Jin San has also been notified."

Qingyan nodded and turned to leave.

"...Qingyan." Qingyan ignored her.

"Qingyan..." A groan of uncontrollable pain.

Qingyan... Qingyan...

I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...

Her pace gradually slowed, and Qingyan finally stopped, standing there quietly, motionless. Ruying clutched her chest, almost holding her breath as she watched Qingyan's retreating figure.

Qingyan didn't turn around, but spoke, her voice calm, "Ruying."

"I'm here." Ru Ying's voice was soft, with a slight tremor. She still called him Ru Ying. She would forgive him, wouldn't she?

A soft laugh rang out, and Qingyan said cheerfully, "Do you still remember the day we first met?"

Ru Ying paused slightly, then sighed, "I remember." How could she not remember? She could never forget it in this lifetime.

Qingyan turned around and said calmly, "That day, I told you that I would help you with whatever you wanted. So today, I'm fulfilling my promise. I won't blame you for anything you've done. However, 'Ruying' is now a thing of the past. Second Prince, take care."

The voice drifted away in the wind, and the pale green figure went further and further away, gradually merging into the deep black hue.

The figure left by the lake, stiff as if lifeless, stood there, forever frozen, until it became a stubborn rock covered in moss.

Chapter 250: [Side Story] Part 7

Second Prince - Exquisite Cherry Blossoms ①

Liupan Mountain, towering into the clouds, is the highest mountain in the territory of Beixian. On the mountain, there are royal temples and the royal altar used for worshipping heaven and earth. He had longed to come to Liupan Mountain to watch the sunrise. Since childhood, he had heard people say that the sunrise view from the top of Liupan Mountain was the best in the world.

The memorial service was completed yesterday, and it's time to return to the palace today. My father is in poor health, and he privately instructed me before his departure to return as soon as possible. Upon returning to the country, my father will abdicate soon. He has devoted his life to nature, yet he has been burdened by imperial power. I suspect he intends to travel the world with my mother this time.

Thinking about it, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. Given my father's current ailing health, I wonder how many more years he can live a carefree life.

Before dawn, he had already climbed the mountain, standing on the eastern cliff of the giant peak, his robes billowing in the wind, his long hair flowing, like a celestial being. The second prince of the Beixian Kingdom was renowned throughout the kingdom for his unparalleled beauty. He had practiced martial arts since childhood, possessing a slender and flexible physique, especially excelling in swordsmanship. In the past year, he had risen to prominence, even defeating Zuo Yi, the number one warrior of Beixian, and thus gained Zuo Yi's devoted support. The two became friends through martial arts, truly rare confidants.

The first hint of red appeared on the horizon, bathing the world in a blood-red glow, suddenly adding a touch of tragic grandeur. Just as he was intently observing, he suddenly heard thumping footsteps, hurried and flustered. Zuo Yi behind him turned and blocked the approaching person, "What's the matter? Why are you in such a panic? Why are you trying to stop His Highness from enjoying the sunrise?"

The person who arrived collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your Highness, Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine, the Imperial Concubine..."

He turned around abruptly and strode over, "What did you say? What happened to Her Majesty?"

"Her Majesty has passed away... Waaah..." The person who came was none other than Shangguan Shu'er, the nephew of Consort Shangguan. He had grown up with the Second Prince since childhood, and Consort Shangguan had been very kind to him. Therefore, he loved Consort Shangguan very much. Upon hearing this tragic news, he couldn't help but burst into tears.

He shouted angrily, "You're talking nonsense! What exactly happened?"

Shangguan Shu'er suddenly stood up, wiped away the tears on her face with her sleeve, and said hatefully, "Your Highness, the Empress died of poisoning, pretending to be seriously ill. When the Emperor learned of the Empress's death, he himself fell seriously ill and could not get out of bed. The court is now controlled by the eldest prince. Imperial Physician Shangguan secretly brought out the message, telling Your Highness to be careful on the road and to return to the court as soon as possible to avenge the Empress."

He stumbled and nearly fell, his face suddenly turning pale.

"Quickly, gather all troops and return to the capital immediately!"

"yes!"

The horses and men swooped down from the top of Liupan Mountain like the wind, startling the morning birds into a cloud of flight. The blood-red sunrise on the horizon shone with an eerie, ominous light. The abbot of the royal temple stood at the temple gate, his hand resting on his prayer beads, and sighed softly.

★☆★☆★

He stood leaning on his sword, its gleam now dimmed, its blade stained with blood. Everywhere he looked, there were mangled corpses, indistinguishable from one another, enemy or subordinate. His men, who had been so full of life by his side just moments before, now lay sprawled on the ground, buried among the weeds.

He looked up at the sky and laughed bitterly. He had been betrayed, ambushed halfway, and all his followers were wiped out by forces ten times their size. Only he survived, severely wounded.

"Second, Second Prince..." a faint voice called to him.

He turned around and saw a person staggering towards him, dragging their leg. "Zuo Yi?"

Chapter 251: [Bonus Chapter] Part 8

Second Prince - Exquisite Cherry Blossoms ②

Zuo Yi's robes were disheveled, and a long, taut knife cut across his calf. As he walked, blood gushed out like a waterfall, dripping onto the ground.

"Your Highness, it's so good that you're alright." He fell down with a thud, pressed a few acupoints on his leg, then tore his clothes with a "hiss" and tightly wrapped the wound, only stopping when the bleeding stopped.